Scenes from the Rose Bowl tailgate and pregame

The official Penn State tailgate, hosted by the Penn State Alumni Association in a Rose Bowl-determined location on the grounds of a golf course adjacent to the stadium, was heralded by arches of blue and white above the many thousands who attended.

The colorful westside press box of the Rose Bowl, the only interior field-view section of the stadium, offered shade for many of Penn State's contigent, which began at about the 50-yard line and swung around to the northern end zone, with additional pockets of fans on the northeast side of the stadium, according to the white-clothed fans.

A veritable sea of white-clad Penn State fans made their presence known by their vocalizations of spirit as much as by their attire. The 12th man was loud and clear from the field, as chants of "We Are ... Penn State" resonated and seemed to ricochet inside the Rose Bowl.

The ABC on-field booth was right in the thick of Penn State territory. During the game, the roof of the stage descended to the desk's height by hand-operated cranks so fans' views of the game weren't obstructed.

Former Nittany Lion standout Michael Robinson came to Pasadena from his NFL-home San Francisco and joined Jay Paterno on the field during the team's warm-up. He was one of several football alumni on the sidelines to offer support to the players.

One of the Nittany Lions' warm-up drills in Penn State's end zone, near the ABC broadcast stage, involved players jumping toward their "tacklers," who lifted the players in the air. It was an impressive display of physical strength.

Nittany Lion fans had front-row seats to that warm-up drill, but they were most vocal moments later as the Blue Band announced the official arrival of Penn State onto the field from the opposite end zone.

Fired-up Penn State fans brought the 12th man to the Rose Bowl, revving up the volume heard on the field. Despite the wide-open feel of the stadium and the disadvantage of not being the local team, some 25,000-plus Penn Staters reverberated the sounds of home-game spirit to the field at Pasadena.